Connection for railway-rails



(No Model.)

w. A. STOPER. CONNECTION FOR RAILWAY RAILS. No. 466,634. Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

.ziizomey UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM A. STOFER, OF FOXBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONNECTION FOR RAILWAY-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,634, dated anuary 5, 1892. Application filed February 26 1890- Serial No. 341,869. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. STOFER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of FoXburg, in the county of Clarion and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connections for Railway-Rails; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective View. Fig. 2 is a View of the bolt. Figs. 3 and 4 are views of the keys.

This invention relates to certain improvements in fastenings for railway-rails; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of parts, as Will-appear from the following description and illustration.

In the drawings, A A represent the adjoining rails of a section of a railway, and B an angle-plate, which is arranged to break joints with said rails.

O O are bolts passed through apertures in the rails A and angle-plate B, and each of which has a transverse aperture a near one end.

D D are split keys or pins, which may be slightly tapered,and which are passed through coincident holes or apertures of the rails A and angle-plate B. The keys are each provided with an offset portion or shoulder 1) near its head.

In operation the bolts are passed through registering holes or apertures of the rails and angle-iron, and the keys or pins are driven into the slots or apertures of said bolts. By

the insertion of a suitable tool or implement into the split ends of the keys or pins the prongs formed by thus splitting the keys are caused to diverge, and in that manner lock the keys in said bolts, and consequently pre vent the accidental displacement or jarring out of place of the bolts.

In the modification, as disclosed in Fig. 4, I have provided a key D,which is also slightly tapered and split at its unheaded end, the prongs D, however, in this case being flexed or bent outward, as at d, from each other and converged at their outer free ends. The outward flexed or bent portions of the prongs of this key as it is driven into the opening of the bolt will be compressed or brought nearly parallel, elongating said prongs, and after the key is driven home they will resume their original position, and thus automatically lock the key in place in the bolt. In either case the key is removed by striking against its shoulder or offset at or near the head end with a suitable implement.

Having described this invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

The herein-described key for locking bolts in position, comprising the flat tapering shank portion having an offset or head at one end, its opposite end being split longitudinally, said split portions or prongs being flexed or bent outward from each other at their intermediate portionsand converged at their outer free ends, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' \V. A. STOFER.

WVitnesses:

J. SHINGLEDECKER, O. H. MARTIN. 

